Page 18 of Wolf Crowned

He fisted his hands in his lap. “Really, it’s me who should be thanking you. I don’t know if my dad betrayed you or not, but he didn’t help you. You could’ve left us to die out there and you didn’t. You chose mercy instead.”

He said that like I had a choice and maybe I had I suppose, but evil wasn’t in my blood.

I shook my head. “We are all in this together. All of us, turning you away or ignoring your call for help would make me just as bad as Alpha Dane. We all have to learn to work together.”

That was the truth. If anybody ever thought that I was being like Alpha Dane I hoped they hit me over the head and told me right away. I never wanted anyone here out of blind fear.

Leo inclined his head. “I just wanted to let you know that we appreciate you Alpha Sloane. Pack Denning is with you one hundred percent of the way.”

I believed him. I leaned back in my chair. The tense muscles easing up a little. “Thank you, Leo.”

I opened my mouth to say more, but the shrill of my cell phone silenced me.

Leo stood up. “I should be going and let you get back to work. I’ll send you more names as I remember them.”

I dug my cell phone out of my pocket as I waved bye to Leo. The number on the caller ID wasn’t one I recognized, but we had so many things happening right now I didn’t think anything of it as I slid my finger over the screen to answer it.

“Hello,” I said as Leo closed the door behind him leaving me alone in the office.

“Sloane,” Alpha Dane’s gruff voice greeted. “I’m calling to negotiate the terms of your surrender.”

Seven

Sloane

My surrender? Ha. He was mistaken.

I sat up straighter in my chair. He thinks I’m a fool. I’ll show him.

Our little plan had worked at least a little. I wondered if he clicked on the link, but that wasn’t exactly something I could just ask him. I could only hope.

I cleared my throat and gripped the desk with my free hand. “I’m not sure you understand. We aren’t surrendering. We are just hoping that we could come to some sort of peaceful resolution before more people die. We’ve already lost too many. There is no need for more bloodshed.”

He cackled like I’d told the funniest joke in the world. “You know, Sloane, I’ve miscalculated you a bit. Not only are you exceedingly stubborn, but you’re dumb too.”

I gritted my teeth and dug my nails into the edge of the desk. I opened my mouth to say something, but then clamped it shut. I was not going to give him the satisfaction of a retort because it would only egg him on.

Let him think I was dumb. It would make outsmarting him so much more satisfying in the end.

The phone crackled like he was moving it around. “But you’re right. It doesn’t have to be this way. I’m more than happy to accept your pack. Everyone there can be welcomed into mine. No one else has to die.”

I shook my head. The audacity of him. After every thing we’d lost, he expected me to just roll over. I wasn’t like these other alphas.

I bared my teeth. “No. What you’re doing is wrong. You’re hurting people, forcing them to follow you. Maybe you have good little puppets for now, but it’s only a matter of time before you have a revolt.”

He chuckled darkly. “There will be no revolts. My pack knows who their alpha is and wouldn’t think twice about challenging me.” He hummed. “Have you been having troubles, Sloane? You are just a young girl, after all. Not an alpha. Anyone can see you aren’t cut out for the role.”

The edge of the desk creaked from my grip, and part of the molding began to pull away. “I’ve earned the respect of everyone here. I think you’re mistaking fear for respect and there’s a very strong difference, Alpha.”

Like how I addressed him as alpha still and he only referred to me by my first name.

Jerk!

He huffed like he was trying to suppress a laugh. “There was a time when I used to be like that, Sloane, easy-going, everyone had a say. And then Luna turned her back on us. That’s when I realized it was time we make our own rules.”

I released my death grip on the desk and put my balled hand in my lap. “I’m sorry for what happened to your wife and daughter. I can’t imagine how horrible that must’ve been for you and your family.” I closed my eyes. “But Luna had nothing to do with what happened to them.”

He snarled into the phone. “And I suppose Luna had nothing to do with your father being slaughtered, either?”

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